September 8, 2025 — When lightning strikes started wildfires in San Juan National Forest in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, at the beginning of August, New York wildland firefighters were first on the scene, including PEF member James Canevari.
Canevari, a forester in the Division of Fish and Wildlife at the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Region 6 headquarters in Watertown, was deployed for two weeks as part of a team of 10 wildland firefighters led by DEC forest rangers.
“Our role was to patrol the district during a period of dry lightning storm conditions,” Canevari said. “Many small fires ignited by lightning strikes were suppressed by our 10-person suppression module as well as other crews and modules stationed at the same location. My main role on the crew was as a chainsaw operator.”
This isn’t Canevari’s first deployment. He has traveled from Nebraska to Alaska and many other western states over the last 17 years to help fight wildland fires, both as a forest service volunteer and as a DEC employee.
Aid from other states is crucial to the success of suppressing wildland fires.
“Cooperation is essential in emergency situations because if resources are depleted nationally and then fire activity gets extreme, we come in to attack the problem,” Canevari said. “Also, collaboration and working together builds a bigger toolbox for all of us to access. We share ideas and techniques used to tackle problems during wildfires, and what we learn in hotter and drier conditions, in lands that see frequent fire, we can bring back to the east. Those lessons and tactics help shape our own attacks on eastern fires.”
PEF members Kenneth Binder and Timothy Yeatts were also on the fire crew at Pagosa Springs.
“It’s an arduous job, but very rewarding,” Canevari said. “People appreciate and respect you and what you offer them – support and the willingness to step in harm’s way to make sure measures are taken to protect them and their homes.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the firefighters for their efforts.
“New York is always ready to lend a hand when other states need our help,” she stated in a press release. “We’re fortunate to have some of the best trained wildland firefighters in the country, so when there’s trouble out west, New York’s wildland firefighters are ready to jump into action, and I am so pleased to welcome them back safely.”
On average the state deploys one or two crews every year to help fight fires out west.